Happy Birthday Garden

The theme of the current challenge at Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge blog is "Happy Birthday." I had seen a card on Pinterest using this Martha Stewart punch. I liked the idea, and have the same punch, so I decided to create a similar card.

For the background paper, I chose one of the patterns from the "Conservatory" 6x6" paper pad by 7gypsies. I cut it to 4.25x5.5" and adhered it to an A2 card base. I used a patterned paper from the Anna Griffin "Olivia Collection" 6x6" paper pad to punch the lattice from. I die cut the vines using the "Floral Flourishes" dies by Spellbinders. I first cut them from green cardstock, but didn't like the "flat" look it gave. So I re-cut them from watercolor paper and colored them with 2 different colors of Inktense pencils and my water brush.

I glued one edge of the first lattice strip to the card front, and glued the top end of the other strip, rotated 180 degrees from the first strip and butted against it. Then I carefully wove parts of the vines in and out among the lattice openings. When I finally had that looking like I wanted, I glued the rest of the lattice sections and the vines down to the card front.

I stamped the greeting in red onto a piece of pink cardstock, then cut that into a banner shape. I inked the edges with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, then adhered that to the front of the card, over the lattice and towards the bottom. Three being a magic number in design circles, I die cut 2 blue butterflies & one pink one to add to the card. I glued one of the blue ones on top of the greeting panel, to anchor the butterfly to the card, and glued the other two to the lattice/vine section. I finished it off by rounding the two right corners with my 1/2" Corner Chomper.